Friday, March 16, 2007

Danish firm charged in anti-terror case

COPENHAGEN, Denmark - Seven people who raised money for Colombian guerrillas and Palestinian militants through T-shirt sales have been charged under Denmark's anti-terror law, a prosecutor said Thursday.The suspects were associated with a Danish company that sold T-shirts over the Internet with the acronyms FARC, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, and PFLP, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

The company, Fighters and Lovers, said on its Web site that it would donate $7 to the groups for each $31 T-shirt sold. However, no money has been transferred to either group, and it was not immediately clear if any shirts were sold.

In charges filed Wednesday, Prosecutor Henning Fode said the seven, who were not identified, had violated a part of the anti-terror law that prohibits economic support to terror groups.

"Both PFLP and FARC have either taken responsibility for or have been blamed for acts that must be considered to be included" in the Danish anti-terror law, Fode said in a statement.

If convicted, each faces up to six years in prison.

Company officials did not immediately answer calls seeking comment.

No trial date was set for the case, which started in January 2006 after Colombia asked Denmark to take action against Fighters and Lovers.

In October, the spokesman for another Danish group that advocated support for FARC and PFLP was charged under terrorism laws for helping raise money for the organizations.